Energy absorber

ABSTRACT

The object of this invention is to form an energy absorber of used auto tires and rims mounted so as to receive the impact on the tire tread and collapse the rim with enough energy, the tires to be filled with liquid with holes and blow-out plugs, the rims and plugs to be cheap enough to be thrown away after a serious accident.

United States Patent Walker 1 1 May 9,1972

[54] ENERGY ABSORBER [72] Inventor: Brooks Walker, 1280 Columbus Avenue,

San Francisco, Calif. 94133 [22] Filed: Jan. 12,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 2,327

,[52] US. Cl. ..256/ l, 256/13.1, 293/D1G. 3,

293/71 P. 114/219 5 1 1 1111.01. ..E0lf 15/00 [58] FieldofSearch..293/l,51 F,'71,71 P;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,502,362 3/1970 Eshelman..293/71x 3,503,600 3/1970 Rich ..293/ 1x 3,512,822 5/1970 Rich et al..293/| FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 559,182 7/1957 Belgium ..114/219 718,624 1 1/1954 Great Britain ..1 14/219 Primary Examiner-ArthurL. La Point Assistant E.\'aminer-Robert Saifer 571 7 ABSTRACT The objectof this invention is to form an energy absorber of used auto tires andrims mounted so as to receive the impact on the tire tread and collapsethe rim with enough energy, the tires to be filled with liquid withholes and blow-out plugs, the rims and plugs to be cheap enough to bethrown away after a serious accident.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 9 I972 v 8,661,859

IN VENTOR. BROOKS WALKER ENERGY ABSORBER An object of the invention isas stated in the abstract.

Another object is to find an important life and property saving use forold tires with. tread too thin for use but still very strong for use ascollapsible energy absorbing abutments and also an important use for oldrims or inexpensive collapsible rims.

Another object is to support one or more tires against'an abutmentwiththeir normal axis of rotation (though mounted stationary) generally atright angles to the line of motion of a vehicle approaching theabutment. Filling the tires witha liquid. Making the rims on-which thetires are mountedof limited resistance on sufficient impact by a vehicleto collapse across their diameter. Providing limited exit orificeinearthe tops. of the tires for the liquid filling. By this construction toprovide energy absorption after impact by collapse or. flattening ofboth sides of said tires and major flattening of the diameter of therims to provide a substantial distance of energy absorption to reducethe damage to the vehicle and its occupants on running into the abutmentso constructed. The absorber can be one or more tires so mounted; ifmore than one I specification and claims.

I have illustrated my invention by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one form of the invention in side elevation.

FIG. 2 shows a front elevation of the same construction shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the same invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a vehicle impacting said invention energyabsorber flattening or deforming the tires on both front and back andejecting some of the liquid filling through limited orifices. I I

In all views similar numerals show similar or the same parts.

In all figures a series of suitable new, special or used tires aresecured together by bolts or rivets 13 through lug 12 on rims 11. Bolt14 secures the rims 11 and tires 10 to collapsible bracket 21 whichbracket 21 is secured to abutment i20'by suitable bolts 22. v

The tires 10 are preferably filled with a non-freezing liquid such assalt water 35 if used in a freezing climate or, if not subject tofreezing, plain water is suitable. Blow out plugs 17 are inserted inlimited ejection orificesin the up er portion of said tires 10. Whenmounted-as shown retainers or chains or cords can be used to preventloss after impact.

On impact of a vehicle as shown in FIG. 4 the. tires will they can andshould be fastened together. The fastening to the I have illustrated myinventions in these various forms; however, many other variations may bepossible within the scope of this invention.

To those skilled in the art towhich this invention relates manychangesin construction and widely differing embodiments and applicationsof the invention will suggest themselves without departing fromthespirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and descriptionherein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any senselimiting.

'I claim:

1. An energyabsorber secured to an abutment, said absorber comprising atleast one vehicle tire mounted on a metallic hollow rim of substantiallythe width of the tire, said rim'member being substantially devoid of awheel supporting center and collapsible radiallyon heavy impact ofpredetermined value by a .moving vehicle radially of the tire andsecured to said tire in a liquid-tight seal, the attachment of saidabsorber tosaid abutment being provided by a structure that is partiallycollapsible on said'heavy impact, liquid contained in and filling atleast part of said tire and blowout plugs mounted in openings in theupper portion of said tire.

' 2. An energy absorber comprising a plurality of vehicle' tires, acorresponding plurality of hollow rim members substantially devoid ofwheel supporting centers, each mounting one of the tires with aliquid-tight fit between each said hollow rim member and itsrespectivetire, means for securing the tires together inside-by-side-relation, means for attaching the pluralityof tires and rimmembers to an abutment with the tread portion of the tires toward theabutment, liquid filling a major portion of said tires, holes in theupper portion of said tires, blowout plugs for said holes, said plugsbeing blown out by the liquid filling inside said tires on heavy impactof predetermined value with a vehicle, the means for attaching saidabsorber to said abutment being collapsible upon a predetermined forceof impact.

3. A device as described in claim'2 in which the absorber is attached tosaid abutment with the tires parallel to each other, each tirepositioned in a plane substantially in line with the expected line ofimpact of said vehicle against said abutment.

4. An energy, absorberprovided by a plurality of vehicle tires eachmounted on a metallic ring member according to claim 3, said tires andring members being secured together in coaxial relation.

5. An energy absorber according to claim 4 in which the I mounting meansfor the absorber is secured to at least a pair of deform in frontagainst the vehicle and at the rear against .the'

abutment, the rim will flatten, and the bracket 2l-will give with theflattening of the tire against the abutment. The tires are shownslightly away from the abutment to allow some resistive collapse ordeforming of the support bracket 21 on initial impact. If desired thetires can be against the abutment, or the abutment can be slightlyconcave to fit a portionof the tire tread diameter or of slightly moreradius to give more contact with the tire gradually with the flatteningof the tire.

After a limited impact that does not seriously deform the rims 11, thetires can be refilled with liquid and the blow-out plugs replaced andthe abutment is ready for protection again. If the rims are seriouslydeformed they can possibly be made approximately round in a suitablepress for rims or new rims used with the old tires if not damaged so asto be unusable again in an abutment to hold liquid, etc.

There are great quantities of used tires available and possibly largequantities of car wheels which can have the centers cut out to leavelugs such as 13 left for securing the wheels together and yet allow therims to flatten on sufficient impact some portion of the wheel portionto the bolt circle may be left in addition to the lug portion 12 if moreresistance to collapse is desired.

the ring members for supporting the absorber, said mounting means beingcollapsible by substantially the same ringmember collapsing force.

6. An energy absorber in the form of a series of partially liquid filledvehicle tires mounted next to each other on radially.collapsiblemetallic rims attached to an abutment, so that a vehicle coming towardand against said abutment will contact one tread area of said tireswhile said abutment is contacting the diametrically opposite tread areaof said tires, restrictive flow opening in said tires to offersubstantial resistance to the rapid flow therefrom of said liquidfilling on heavy impact above apredetermined value of said vehicle withsaid absorber, said rimbeing collapsible radially on sufficient impact,said rim having the wheel portion normally attached to said rim butsubstantially devoid of its wheel supporting center in order to offerless resistance to collapse, said rims being secured together so thatadjacent tire sides abut each other.

7. An energy absorber comprising at least one vehicle tire fitted on ametallic ring member which is the rim portion of a vehicle wheel uponwhich such tire is normally mounted and said wheel being substantiallydevoid of its wheel supporting center, said at least one tire being atleast partially filled with liquid and provided with a blowout plug inits outer wall, means mounting said absorber upon an abutment with thetread portion facing the abutment, the ring member being radiallycollapsible upon a predetermined radial force thereagainst.

8. An energy absorber according to claim 7 in which the mounting meansfor the absorber is secured to the ring member, said mounting meansbeing collapsible by substantially the same ring-member collapsingforce.

1. An energy absorber secured to an abutment, said absorber comprisingat least one vehicle tire mounted on a metallic hollow rim ofsubstantially the width of the tire, said rim member being substantiallydevoid of a wheel supporting center and collapsible radially on heavyimpact of predetermined value by a moving vehicle radially of the tireand secured to said tire in a liquid-tight seal, the attachment of saidabsorber to said abutment being provided by a structure that ispartially collapsible on said heavy impact, liquid contained in andfilling at least part of said tire and blowout plugs mounted in openingsin the upper portion of said tire.
 2. An energy absorber comprising aplurality of vehicle tires, a corresponding plurality of hollow rimmembers substantially devoid of wheel supporting centers, each mountingone of the tires with a liquid-tight fit between each said hollow rimmember and its respective tire, means for securing the tires together inside-by-side relation, means for attaching the plurality of tires andrim members to an abutment with the tread portion of the tires towardthe abutment, liquid filling a major portion of said tires, holes in theupper portion of said tires, blowout plugs for said holes, said plugsbeing blown out by the liquid filling inside said tires on heavy impactof predetermined value with a vehicle, the means for attaching saidabsorber to said abutment being collapsible upon a predetermined forceof impact.
 3. A device as described in claim 2 in which the absorber isattached to said abutment with the tires parallel to each other, eachtire positioned in a plane substantially in line with the expected lineof impact of said vehicle against said abutment.
 4. An energy absorberprovided by a plurality of vehicle tires each mounted on a metallic ringmember according to claim 3, said tires and ring members being securedtogether in coaxial relation.
 5. An energy absorber according to claim 4in which the mounting means for the absorber is secured to at least apair of the ring members for supporting the absorber, said mountingmeans being collapsible by substantially the same ring-member collapsingforce.
 6. An energy absorber in the form of a series of partially liquidfilled vehicle tires mounted next to each other on radially collapsiblemetallic rims attached to an abutment, so that a vehicle coming towardand against said abutment will contact one tread area of said tireswhile said abutment is contacting the diametrically opposite tread areaof said tIres, restrictive flow opening in said tires to offersubstantial resistance to the rapid flow therefrom of said liquidfilling on heavy impact above a predetermined value of said vehicle withsaid absorber, said rim being collapsible radially on sufficient impact,said rim having the wheel portion normally attached to said rim butsubstantially devoid of its wheel supporting center in order to offerless resistance to collapse, said rims being secured together so thatadjacent tire sides abut each other.
 7. An energy absorber comprising atleast one vehicle tire fitted on a metallic ring member which is the rimportion of a vehicle wheel upon which such tire is normally mounted andsaid wheel being substantially devoid of its wheel supporting center,said at least one tire being at least partially filled with liquid andprovided with a blowout plug in its outer wall, means mounting saidabsorber upon an abutment with the tread portion facing the abutment,the ring member being radially collapsible upon a predetermined radialforce thereagainst.
 8. An energy absorber according to claim 7 in whichthe mounting means for the absorber is secured to the ring member, saidmounting means being collapsible by substantially the same ring-membercollapsing force.